Never Too Late
by Jen M. Snyder
Summary: Ginny finds Draco in a classroom covered in blood. after helping him, Ginny is plagued by nightmares of him. a one-shot. fluff.


**This is inspired by Three days grace song- Never too late. **

**Hence the title. **

**I do not own any of the characters within this story. **

**Those are JKR's. **

**I do however own the plot.**

**I am again doing this one differently then I am on my other fanfics. **

**Sit back and enjoy. **

Ginny walked down the darkened Hogwart's hall. It was early morning, she had woken up a little earlier with pain in her abdomen and the insatiable urge to pee.

" goddamn it." she thought, sneaking through the halls. " why couldn't the founders put bathrooms in the common rooms?"

Still the Urge mounted with every passing second but she wouldn't risk being found out of bed.

Ginny paused for a second, listening. The sound of feet could be heard farther down threw the castle. The silence was almost overwhelming. She strained harder to hear some wisp of noise threw the empty halls. Suddenly she heard panting in a classroom, followed by a groan.

Ginny thought of how much pain the person must be in and how she wanted to help but didn't know how. Still Ginny couldn't just leave someone who was hurt with no help. She forced herself to move forward and open the classroom door. It was pitch black inside, no light penetrating the darkness from the door.

" Hello?" she said cautiously, moving into the room. " Hello?"

the groan became much more pronounced, a note of pain breaking through in the last second.

Ginny pulled out her wand and said, "_ Lumous_."

Light flooded through the darkness, showing a lean body on a table covered in blood.

" Oh God!" Ginny Screamed, running to the person on the table, The Urge forgotten.

She reached him and gasped at the extent of his wounds. The person was laying on his stomach, groaning in pain. Blood matted his hair to his scalp, and covered clawed robes. His hands were pale, and lifeless. She didn't know how he was surviving. She slowly pushed him onto his pained back, and gasped again at th0e face of the boy.

It was Draco Malfoy and his face was covered in cuts. He groaned and opened his eyes. Ginny almost screamed in horror at the blood soaked almost lifeless eyes.

"don't" Draco said in barely a whisper. " Don't save me."

"Draco," Ginny breathed, placing a hand on his chest, " you should live too."

with that, Ginny pushed away from him and ran into the hall yelling, " HELP! HELP ME!"

Ginny waited a few seconds until she saw Mrs. Norris and made sure she saw Ginny run into the classroom.

She returned to Draco, and whispered into his ear. " Help will be here soon."

He groaned.

After a few minutes of holding her breathe, Ginny was rewarded with the sound of Filtch's heavy footfalls.

" What are you doing at a time like this?" Filtch said in his raspy voice.

Ginny turned to Filtch and moving so he could see Draco. " Help! I don't know what to do!"

Filtch took one look at Draco and sprinted out the door. He was headed to what looked like the dungeon. Ginny took Draco's hand and squeezed it, telling him she was there. She stroked his crimson-dyed hair out of his eyes, as they looked around sightlessly.

After what seemed like forever, Ginny heard several sets of feet running down the hall to the room. When she turned around, Snape, McGonnagall, and Dumbledore stood in the doorway.

Dumbledore walked up to Draco and muttered, " _Wingarium Leviosa_" then as though it was an after thought, " You couldn't stand the Pressure could you?"

Snape and McGonnagall moved to Ginny and placed a hand on each shoulder. Walking together, and following Dumbledore, they walked up to the hospital wing.

When they reached the Hospital, the three teachers moved to help madam Pomphrey with Draco's wounds. Ginny stood next to the door, watching awe stricken as they slowly healed him.

_Later..._

Ginny sat slumped and dozing in a chair that stood in Dumbledore's office. She couldn't get the look of fear on Draco's face, or the words that he had spoken to her.

"_Don't save me." _

the words had haunted her though the last few nights and his eyes had held her mind through the last few days. Though she had asked McGonnagall about Draco, hoping for the best, Ginny had been told that he was still unconscious.

Draco's cool gray eyes held her in confusion. She was sure that she had seen something important within those metallic spheres. Something akin, and masked by, pain.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione had not helped Ginny in her confusion or her mental conflict.

" YOU HELPED HIM!" Ron, and Harry had yelled, when they found out.

" Why would you help him?" Harry had asked, looking at her strangely.

"yeah." accused Ron, looking sternly at her. " Why would you help him?"

" oh common guys," Hermione had said, moving over to Ginny and putting her arm over her shoulder. " I'm sure she's got a good reason. Why would she save him unless she had some underlying scheme. Right?"

Ginny had been flabbergasted.

" NO!" she said, pulling away from Hermione. " I did it because it's the right thing to do, and everyone deserves to live."

with that statement, a 1st year had told her that Professor Dumbledore wanted to see her and she had left them standing. She didn't care what they thought of how she had handled the situation.

And now she was dozing in this very comfortable lounge like chair in front of Dumbledore's desk with no Headmaster in sight. She got up and looked around. Ginny listened at the door for footsteps, then moved to the door behind the desk. There was no sound that she heard through either door.

Satisfied, she returned to the chair and laid her head on the desk, drifting into her dark unconsciousness.

Ginny was dreaming of Draco. She had, of course, seen him in the halls with his henchmen. But as she walked down the hall toward him, his henchmen, Goyle, Crabbe, and Zabini, disappeared. Suddenly he seemed so alone. She felt a pang of sadness as she stared at his lone form. She moved closer to him, changing direction to get next to him, to make him feel less alone. When she finally reached him, she smiled. He smiled back, white teeth glistening through pale pink lips. He held out his hand for her to take, which she accepted. Ginny smiled up into his face as though the world was lit from the sparkle in his eye. He grinned, and she grinned, looking deep into each others eyes. Yet as she looked deep into those silvery blue eyes, blood shot into them. His platinum blond hair became matted, and blood dripped onto her face. She screamed in terror.

And was rudely shaken awake by firm hands on her shoulders.

" What?" she asked groggily, rubbing her head. " what happened?"

" why nothing my dear girl." said a soothing voice next to her. " you were just having a bad dream."

Ginny's head shot up, and concern flooded her eyes. " and," she said hesitantly, " how is Draco?"

Dumbledore smiled. " he is doing quite fine now."

Ginny slumped back, relieved.

Dumbledore smiled softly at her. " Yes, he is sleeping much more peacefully. Color is coming back into his demeanor, and his wounds have healed quite nicely. We believe he will wake up within a few hours."

she sighed, relief again flooding her.

" But," Dumbledore said, leaning forward and becoming very serious. " he has been muttering in his sleep. "

Ginny looked up into his face, the kind blue eyes seemed to shoot through her and see into her mind.

"what," she asked slowly. "has he been muttering?"

he looked deeply in her chocolate brown eyes. After a minute, he spoke.

" I think we both know what he was muttering."

Ginny looked down, ashamed.

" But," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair, and fiddling with his bread. " I called you here for other reasons. You see the last time I saw you, I had Professor McGonnagall escort you back to your dormitory without asking you about this event."

She looked up shyly.

" Please Tell me what happened. I'm sure you can explain to me the scene you witnessed." Dumbledore calmly said.

Ginny sighed, and began to replay the scene as her had found it. She spoke his words again as she had over the last few days, With a pang in her voice.

When she was finished, Ginny looked up to find Dumbledore smiling.

" I do believe that we are done for now." Dumbledore stood, and escorted Ginny to the office door. " and Ms. Weasley I want you to please see Professor McGonnagall immediately about your soon-to-be new residence."

Ginny looked at him confused and said, " Yes Professor I will."

she turned and began down the stairs.

" and Ms. Weasley" Dumbledore said to her disappearing back. " do visit Mr. Malfoy. He has asked to see you."

Ginny heard and walked faster down the spiral stairs. She continued until she came to a bathroom. Her head spun as she opened the door, and ran to a toilet. Bile and supper came up through her lips. The taste was awful and she vomited again.

When she finished and stood up walking over to the sink. Ginny looked around. Then it struck her. She had needed a bathroom so bad that she had run into a boys restroom.

Ginny's face turned the color of flame as her head spun again. She ran out of the rest room and continued until she reached a GIRLS lavatory. She ran inside and splashed water on her face.

Looking up from the basin, Ginny caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Under her eyes were dark circles, her cheek bones were slightly jutted out, and her lips had lost their luster.

" oh god." she said, pulling at her face under her eyes. " I've really let myself go. I need some sleep, and I need a good bath. Something to make me relax and be actually able to sleep."

She splashed her face again and summoned some Pepper Up Potion. It stung her throat as she gulped it down. But when she looked in the mirror again, Ginny saw that her face looked better even though she still looked tired.

She left the lavatory and then, taking Dumbledore's advice, headed up to the hospital wing.

As Ginny walked she thought about what she would say to Malfoy, if he was awake that is.

'_what exactly do you say to a guy after you save their life and find out that he's been whispering your name in his sleep?' _Ginny thought.

As her hand reached for the door, a voice broke through the silence.

" GINNY!" yelled Ron, standing at the bottom of the short stairs leading up into the wing. " what are you doing up here?"

Ginny groaned, as Ron walked up toward her with Harry and Hermione right behind him.

" well?" Ron said, crossing his arms acrossed his chest.

She sighed and looked at Harry and Hermione pleadingly. Harry starred at her for a second then looked down, as did Hermione.

" I came up here to get something to help me sleep. I've been having nightmares." Ginny looked up into his eyes, and was surprised to see them become gentle and understanding.

"Aight." said Ron, looking her up and down. " we'll come with yo-"

"NO!" Ginny yelled, jumping away from him. The three of them looked at her strangely. " I need to talk to Madam Pomphrey about women stuff."

"Alright." Ron said, shakedly.

With that Ron, Hermione, and Harry, a little begrudgingly, left. Ginny opened the door and walked in.

Draco was laying in the bed at the end, to the left. He looked better, his bruises had been healed. His cuts were almost completely gone, and his face wasn't as swollen as it had been when she had found him. He looked asleep. His face would never be the same again, his nose had been broken. Now it was held together with a small bandage acrossed his nose.

Ginny just stared at him. he had always been gorgeous and for some reason his flaws not even made him hotter.

_ba-dump_

She leaned down.

_Ba-dump_

His lips were cherry red, and so lush, she wanted to kiss him. So badly to kiss him.

_Ba-dump_

She leaned closer. She was so close.

_Ba-dump_

He was asleep he wouldn't know if she gave him one kiss. Just one chaste kiss.

_Ba-dump_

Her lips were less then an inch from his.

_Ba-dump_

He smelled so good.

_Ba-dump_

" you realized I'm awake."

Ginny jumped three feet in the air, and stepped back, blushing furiously. Draco was watching her, and he was smiling.

"I-I-I" Ginny stammered, still blushing. " I didn't know you were awake."

" yeah," he said sitting up and pulling the pillows behind his back. " I know."

" you look good." she said, sitting on the side of his bed. " prof. Dumbledore said that I should come see you. You been having nightmares too?"

" yeah," Draco said, he looked at her strangely. " what about you? What have you been dreaming about?"

" the night I found you." Ginny said, looking at the floor.

" yeah," Draco said, looking up. " me too."

" your eyes were what scared me the most." Ginny looked at him. " they were full of blood and they were leaking blood. I just got so scared."

Ginny's head fell into her hands. She felt like crying and she couldn't stop the tears from running down her hands.

" I'm sorry," Ginny sobbed. " you must be in so much pain."

" no," said Draco, as he pulled Ginny to sob into his chest. " I feel better now that you're here."

Ginny raised her head and looked into his eyes. They were pale grey, but paler then normal.

" what's wrong with your eyes?" Ginny said, pulling out of his embrace.

" I'm sorry." he said looking away from her. "I can't see you."

" what do you mean?" Ginny asked, knowing the answer when the question left her lips.

" I'm blind." Draco said, cupping her face in his hands "the students who attacked me forced me to drink a poison. But not a normal poison, this one was made for one thing only. To blind me. There's nothing that could stop it. They tried."

" I'm sorry." Ginny said, cupping his face too. " I'll help you."

with that, Ginny slowly, very slowly, pulled Draco into a kiss.


End file.
